Terps Drop Season-Opener to Alabama

The Maryland Terrapins dropped their season opener in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday night by a score of 3-1.

Ace Mike Shawaryn was tagged with the loss, lasting 5+ innings allowing two runs, three hits and striking out eight Crimson Tide hitters. A two-out, first inning solo home run from freshman Chandler Taylor gave Alabama an early lead on the highly touted righty. A diving play in deep left-center by Georgie Salem robbed Kevin Smith of extra bases in the fifth, followed shortly by another hard-hit ball from Nick Cieri hit directly at a defender. Shawaryn set down eight straight batters after the homer, but was pulled by head coach John Szefc in the sixth inning after allowing back-to-back hits, giving Alabama a 2-1 lead. The Crimson Tide tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning, securing a season-opening victory in their newly renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Both Maryland and Alabama notched five hits, but the Terps struggled to string them together when it counted leaving runners in scoring position in four separate innings. Maryland left eight men on base in total. Zach Jancarski led the Terps with two hits and the team’s lone RBI from the nine-spot in the order. Tide starter Geoffrey Bramblett earned the win after 5.1 innings of work allowing just three hits, one earned run, while walking four and striking out six. Thomas Burrows earned the save after a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning.